Hitherto, masks have been located on a wearer's face by a harness formed from straps extending from the mask around the wearer's head and/or neck. A hollow tube is generally attached to the mask, independent of the harness, to supply a breathable gas such as air to the wearer.
This arrangement has several disadvantages. Firstly, the tube is often inadvertently pulled by movement of the wearer, particularly during sleep, which can dislodge the mask and adversely affect gas delivery to the patient's airways, thereby reducing treatment effectiveness.
Another disadvantage is that the mask, straps and tube are prone to entanglement which increases the difficulty of correctly installing the mask and harness.
The present invention seeks to overcome or at least ameliorate these problems with the prior art.